Defying January doldrums, Lookout food and drink correspondent Lily Belli launches a monthly food-and-drink dispatch from Santa Cruz County’s dining scene. She selects from a month of eating to highlight brothless ramen, a revived Syrian pop-up, the return of a Capitola classic and hand-pulled noodle soup as the most memorable bites.
Today’s Top Story
A significant story with interest across the county
Posted inLatest News
More than 1,000 students throng downtown Santa Cruz in anti-ICE protest
More than 1,000 students from local schools staged a walkout and marched through downtown Santa Cruz on Friday to protest against ICE and Trump administration policies before settling in outside the county courthouse.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Residents ‘vehemently oppose’ proposed Catalyst project as developers, city officials present plans
A Thursday meeting hosted by representatives from the City of Santa Cruz and the developer and architect of a proposed project that would demolish downtown music venue The Catalyst met with frustration and skepticism from residents and nearby business owners.
Posted inLatest News
Tweaks to point-in-time count outreach could result in more accurate tally this year
Volunteers from all over Santa Cruz County met at the crack of dawn Thursday to conduct this year’s point-in-time count, an annual attempt to estimate the number of unhoused community members. While the count is never complete, housing professionals hope that a few changes to their strategy will help generate a more accurate count this year.
Posted inLatest News
Road network considered in ‘fair’ condition, but Santa Cruz County needs a lot more money just to maintain that
Santa Cruz County’s road network is in “fair” condition, according to its public works department. However, there is a large funding gap between the current budget for paving and what is needed to simply maintain conditions as the county braces for another tight budget in the upcoming fiscal year.
Posted inLatest News
City to reopen eastbound lane of Murray Street Bridge on Wednesday afternoon
The City of Santa Cruz is scheduled to reopen the Murray Street Bridge’s eastbound lane on Wednesday afternoon. It will restore traffic for vehicles and bicycles from the Seabright neighborhood toward 7th Avenue and two-way access for pedestrians.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Federal land in Santa Cruz County safe from drilling under new BLM proposal, but environmentalists remain wary of oil and gas development
With a federal plan updating oil and gas drilling rules on Central Coast public lands now open for public comment, attention in Santa Cruz County has turned to whether any local federal lands could be vulnerable to drilling.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
ICE watchdog group seeing influx of new volunteers as immigration enforcement escalates around U.S.
Immigrant advocacy group Your Allied Rapid Response is seeing an influx of new volunteers wanting to become legal observers as federal immigration officials continue to escalate their enforcement tactics.
Posted inFood & Drink
After 40 years, Alta Organic Coffee founder passes her legacy to a new generation
Founder Patti Spooner has passed Alta Organic Coffee, the Davenport-based roastery known for its dark roasts, to her granddaughter Lilly Spooner and “honorary granddaughter” Melia Spooner, ushering in a new generation for the 40-year-old family business.
Posted inLatest News
Seacliff State Beach recovery inches forward without RV campground
Three years after storms significantly damaged amenities at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, major rebuilding efforts won’t break ground until at least 2028, with larger projects unlikely before 2030.